Welcome to my fundraising page. Thank you so much for being here :) 

I've wanted to run the Boston Marathon ever since 2013. While this will be my second marathon -- I ran Chicago in 2023 --- I am so incredibly excited to be training for such a huge milestone. Coincidently, 2013 was the year Stepping Strong was established, and the founding family's daughter had just graduated from my high school. I've kept their story below, so you can really understand the impact this group has made in the 10+ years since the Boston Marathon Bombing. Potential donation amounts can be found at the bottom of the page and on behalf of the family members of Gillian I knew in high school, my sister who is current a Naval Officer, and the many more individuals who have already benefited from Stepping Strongs impact, thank you so much for your support and the impact your donation will have on trauma survivors and their families, friends, and more.

Stepping Strong's History: In 2013, Boston was changed forever when a beautiful Marathon Monday turned into a senseless tragedy. Gillian Reny, then a high school senior, was one of 39 critically injured patients rushed to Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where doctors and nurses saved her life and legs. With gratitude to the Brigham, the Reny family established The Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation to help other trauma patients regain their strength and ability to step strong once again.

Stepping Strong aims to catalyze trauma innovation for injured civilians and military heroes through multidisciplinary investigative collaborations across the continuum of trauma care, from prevention to treatment and recovery. The center has raised more than $30 million to fuel trauma research, advance education, build community, and inspire advocacy. But much more needs to be done and many gaps must be filled. For example, trauma is the number one cause of death for people 44 or younger, ahead of cancer and heart disease (CDC). Despite the significant burden of trauma, less than 2% of federal funding is allocated toward trauma research, inhibiting our ability to understand how to prevent, treat, and improve recovery from traumatic injury (CDC).

Feeling ready to donate but not sure how much? I've outlined some suggestions below what what feels like appropriate commentary.

$50 --- I'll be cheering from my couch!

$75 -- Go get 'em!

$125 -- You're doing ANOTHER marathon? Really?!

(s/o to my incredibly generous fundraising team who supported me during the Chicago Marathon in 2023)

$ 131 -- A dollar for every mile for the first half (times ten).

$150 -- This is for heartbreak hill. (incentive: personalized goodie bag)

$262 -- Here is a dollar for ever mile you're running (times ten). Glad its not me.

(incentive: opportunity for a 45-60 minute initial nutrition assessment AND 3 day meal plan)

$300 -- This is for the chance that it might be 72 degrees. God's speed if you're trying to run less than 4 hours in that. Oof.

$500 and above -- Get that tax deduction :). (incentive: 45-60 minute nutrition assessment AND you will receive a 7 day meal plan)

No matter the donation --- THANK YOU! I could not be doing this without you. As many of you already know, I have my MPH in nutritional sciences and dietetics from University of Michigan and I am currently completing 1400 hours of supervised learning at Massachusetts General Hospital. While I am not a credentialed registered dietitian yet, I can offer nutritional assessments, meal planning, etc. 

Learn more about the Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation at the Brigham: www.bwhsteppingstrong.org

Brigham and Women's Hospital is a proud partner of the Bank of America Boston Marathon Official Charity Program.